by Khloe Wren
Scout stopped talking to pull his packet of smokes out. He pulled one free but didn’t light it right away.
“Good deal. You three keep our girl safe through this shit, you’ll all get your top rockers. You’ll need to deal with Bulldog after that about taking on Silky. So long as you’re looking for an old lady, not just some fun, you’ll survive him, I’m sure.”
The bastard smirked at me before he lit up.
“If all I wanted was some tail, I’d have used the club whores to get it.”
Scout’s eyes turned serious. “Yeah, we’d noticed you hadn’t made use of the entertainment offered. Take care of our girl, Eagle.”
With that he turned and walked away, leaving me to go back to scanning the street and trying to work out how the fuck I could tell Silk about all this. Finding out her dad was up to something dirty was going to break her heart.
Silk
I was grateful for the full morning of appointments I had booked for today. Meant I didn’t have time to focus on what I was going to have to deal with again tonight. I really didn’t want to spend the next couple of weeks cooped up in my tiny room at the clubhouse, especially when I had a perfectly comfortable house available for my use. If I really couldn’t get out of town, I at least wanted to be able to be alone.
“You stopping for lunch soon?”
I jerked out of my thoughts and looked up from the appointment book to see Eagle smirking at me from the door way. Bastard knew he’d caught me daydreaming.
“Ah, yeah. I can go now. I’ve got about an hour before my next appointment.”
He didn’t respond, but held the door open until I grabbed my bag and headed towards him. Guess I’m having lunch with Eagle today. In what I’d dubbed his stealth mode, he had me ushered down the street to a small cafe within minutes. It all seemed a little excessive to me. But I guess as much as you could take a man out of the military easily enough, taking the military out of the man was a completely different story. Not that I’d want to. I rather liked Marine Eagle. The way he prowled around was sexy as fuck.
Once we settled at a rear table and our food had been delivered, Eagle frowned at me with a serious gaze that had my stomach tightening–and not in a good way.
“What the hell is going on now?”
“Scout dropped by to speak with me this morning. I don’t want to lay it all on you here, out in public. I promise I’ll explain it all tonight. But, I can tell you, you’re not on lockdown at the clubhouse anymore, so I’ll be taking you back to your place tonight.”
“So whatever the fuck the threat was, has passed then?”
He shook his head. “It’s only just started, babe.”
“Can you at least give me a clue to what it’s all about?”
I hadn’t noticed anything. No strangers hanging around–well, except for that damn reporter a couple weeks back. No nasty letters or phone calls. Nothing.
“Word is the mob up in Los Angeles has a bounty on your head, sweetheart.”
I froze with my sandwich halfway to my mouth. “Sorry, what?”
I couldn’t have heard right. No way had I ever done anything to garner the attention of the mob!
“Seems they want you alive, so there is that.”
“Oh, well. I guess that’s okay then.”
My sarcastic response earned me a low growl.
“It’s far from okay. That’s why you’ve had me guarding your ass. The club won’t let anything happen to you.”
I winced a little at his words. The club. Not him. Maybe I’d been dreaming that he was interested in more than a bit of fun with me. Although that kiss last night sure as fuck hadn’t felt like a man who only wanted a good time before moving on.
“I’ve never been to California, let alone Los Angeles. How do these people even know who I am?”
“I really think you’d prefer have this conversation in private, babe.”
“Like it matters? You know full well it’s all I’m going to be thinking about all damn afternoon. You might as well lay it out for me so I don’t spend my time coming up with shit worse than what is actually going on. I have a very vivid imagination.”
He sat back and folded his arms over his chest. “Okay, then. The contract isn’t on you by name. It’s on John Bennett’s daughter.”
I dropped the rest of my lunch and pushed the plate away. My stomach rolled and I grabbed my glass of water to take a few gulps.
“This is about my dad? He’s been dead for fifteen years!”
Eagle watched me calmly as I sat there feeling like the ground just blew out from underneath me.
“Someone wants something your father had. Scout doesn’t know what, but he’s guessing it’s something illegal. We’re going to have to go through anything you have from your parents. Bulldog’s already gone through the storage unit and couldn’t find anything. But if you think it will help, we can head out there and have a look, too.”
I slumped back in my seat. Uncle Clint had told me the same reason my dad had about why I’d not met him before he’d taken custody of me. That my dad hated that his brother was in a biker club. He couldn’t possibly have been involved in something against the law. Taking a deep breath, I covered my face with my palms. Closing my eyes, I tried to wrap my mind around what Eagle was telling me.
“Bulldog didn’t want you to know about your dad, and I wish you didn’t have to find out. I fucking hate having to tear your heart apart by damaging how you remember your father. But this is your life at stake, and I refuse to let anything happen to you, Silk. I know you were young when it happened, but do you remember anything about the day they left to fly to LA?”
I rubbed my temples before I dropped my hands down to the table and stared at my sandwich as I began to pick at it.
“It’s been so long. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. Give me the afternoon. Tonight we’ll talk more about it. Gabs has a family dinner she’s going to, then she’s spending the night at her parents’ place, so we’ll have all the privacy we’ll need.”
“Scout’s assigned Taz and Mac to help keep you safe. You okay with that?”
I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “No, Eagle. I’m not okay with any of this. But I don’t have a fucking choice do I? I’ve got to put my big girl panties on and deal with this shit before it comes for me and I wind up dead–or worse.”
A shudder ran through me as some possibilities of what could be done to me by the fucking mob played in my head like a movie. Eagle’s warm palm covered my hand and it was too much. I jerked my hand away and stood quickly.
“You know the three of us were Leathernecks for over a decade? We’ll keep you safe, Silk. I promise.”
“I need to get back to the shop. Got prep to do for a new piercing client.”
I knew I was being a coward, but I was struggling to wrap my mind around this new version of my dad I’d never known existed before today. I didn’t need to add in the fucked-up chemistry between us to the mix. He was still a prospect and off limits. I knew the three of them had been Marines. Knew my best chance at surviving a freakin’ mob attack would be with them. So, I needed to not ruin it by having my uncle send them on their way because he found out we’d gotten involved when we shouldn’t have.
Once all this shit passed and he got patched in, then I’d worry about what was between us.
If I survived that long.
A chill ran down my spine as I walked back to my shop with Eagle beside me, watching everything and everyone. This can’t be real. Maybe I’d wake up and this past week would turn out to be nothing but a shitty bad dream.
Chapter 4
Silk
I stayed silent on our walk back to Silky Ink. I’d told Eagle I needed to prep for a new client, but I’d lied. The piercing room was always left clean and ready to go. It takes moments to grab the right jewelry and equipment. No, I intended to spend the twenty minutes I had before the appointment on the phone with my uncle. I needed some answers, and didn’t want to wait f
or tonight for them. I didn’t want to get them while others watched, either.
Not even glancing to see where Eagle stopped to take his guard duty post, I headed straight back to the break room at the rear of the shop. Grateful to find it empty, I made myself a coffee before I sat at the table and pulled my phone out. Hitting speed dial, I barely got the thing to my ear before Uncle Clint answered. Typical.
“Hey there, Silky girl. What’s going on?”
Not wanting to drag things out, I got straight to the point.
“Just had an interesting lunch with Eagle. He passed on some things Scout told him this morning.”
A string of growled curses had my lips twitching with a smile. “I didn’t want you told dammit.”
“Yeah, well, tough shit. I’ve been told. Now you need to tell me what really happened between you and Dad before he left Texas. I need to know everything you do, so I can try to work out what, whoever is after me, wants.”
He let fly with a few more curses before he sighed heavily.
“Fine. I suppose it’s too much to ask that you wait till tonight so I can tell you in person?”
“My place is going to be a little crowded tonight as it is, what with Eagle, Mac and Taz all playing guard dog. I don’t want this shit aired to everyone.”
Honestly, it had less to do with people knowing, and more to do with the fact I didn’t want to fucking cry in front of anyone, especially Eagle. I hated being seen as all girly and weak, and I was pretty sure if I had to look Uncle Clint in the eye while he told how my father wasn’t the good man I’d always believed he was, I wouldn’t be able to hold it together.
“I can understand that. I don’t really want this shit aired publicly either. There were only two years between me and your dad. Growing up he always resented being the youngest. He was forever trying to out-do anything I did. It was so stupid and I kept hoping he’d grow out of it. Our folks never treated him as less than me, but somehow he got it in his head he needed to prove he was better than me. When I prospected into the Charons, he–well, he decided it wasn’t hardcore enough for him.”
A tingle ran up my spine as I put together where he was going with this. “He joined the Iron Hammers, didn’t he?”
The Charon MC wasn’t officially a one-percenter club, but the Iron Hammers MC sure as fuck was.
“Yeah, honey. He did. Well, he tried. As far as I know, he never patched in. He lived it up at their parties, enjoyed more than his share of freely offered drugs and women.” I winced and was really grateful I was alone hearing all this shit. My dad had been an asshole. “Not sure how he hooked up with your mom. Rumor had it she was a runaway looking for someplace to belong when she latched onto him. I guess she was looking for club protection as an old lady.”
“If all this happened down here, how the hell did they end up in Boston?”
“No idea what made him run in the end. About a week after we heard about your mom being knocked up, they were gone. Your grandparents used to ring every couple of days when they first left, but after a couple weeks, your dad told them it was too dangerous to keep in contact and he changed his number. Of course, he never shared why, so I’m afraid it’s not much help to you. I did track him down when you were a couple of years old. By then your grandparents had both passed, so it was just me and your Aunt Rose who went up. He actually let us both play with you that day. Then he moved and I couldn’t get hold of him again. Seeing as you looked healthy and taken care of, I didn’t push to find him. Because I didn’t know what he was running from, I didn’t want to risk bringing down shit that would have landed on your head, Silk.”
Everything I thought I knew was being tilted so it now looked different. Every word my uncle spoke had me looking back over my childhood, seeing things in a new light.
“When I once asked him why we didn’t have any extended family, he told me I had an uncle. Just like you’ve told me before, he said it was your connection to the Charons that led to him cutting you from our lives. You both lied to me. Why?”
“I have no idea why he told you that. I simply agreed with what he’d said. Not sure if you remember, but when we came to get you, when I told you I was your daddy’s brother. You asked me if I was the bad biker your father had told you about. I could guess what he’d told you, and with him dead, I didn’t have the heart to tell you he wasn’t as good as you believed. I didn’t see the point. I’m sorry I lied to you, Silk, but the last thing either me or your Aunt Rose wanted was to add to your pain. You clearly thought the sun shone out of your dad, I didn’t have the heart to take that from you. I still wish it I could have left you with that image of him.”
“Yeah well, the rose colored glasses are definitely gone now.”
He roughly cleared his throat. “I always wanted to ask, but wasn’t sure I could handle the answer. Did he ever hurt you or your mom?”
I took a moment to think back. It had been so long ago now, and straight after they died, I pushed the memories down whenever they popped into my mind so I wouldn’t miss them so much. I’d been just a kid, and having my parents ripped away like that devastated me.
“I vaguely remember him slapping Mom, but no idea how old I would have been. I do remember he was so angry. I’d never seen him so mad.” I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see me. “He never raised a hand against me. He wasn’t always around, and he was often drunk, or high, but no matter how out of it he was. He was always protective of me. I don’t actually have any memory of him doing drugs, but from what I’ve seen as an adult I know he must have been taking something fairly regularly.”
“Silk, do you remember him, or your mom, saying anything that might help us, the day you last saw them?”
I huffed a breath out. “I remember overhearing Mom tell Dad that this was it, the last time. I didn’t hear his response. Then about an hour later, they dropped me off at Marie’s house.” I frowned as a thought occurred to me. “How did you find me after? If Dad cut you out completely, how did you know I needed you?”
“I guess he wasn’t so certain he was going to survive whatever he was going to LA for. He left a sealed envelope with Marie that she was only to open if he didn’t return. As soon as she discovered their flight was one of the ones that took down the towers, she opened it and found my contact details. Me and your Aunt Rose dropped everything and drove up there to get you the moment she rang us.”
My phone dinged, letting me know I had five minutes before my next appointment.
“Thanks, Uncle Clint. I’ve got to get back to work. I’ll talk to you later.”
“I think I’ll still come over tonight, make sure those boys behave themselves.”
I scoffed. “You know full well they will. Bye.”
I hung up and stared at the now-dark screen. There was so much I hadn’t known, wouldn’t have ever even guessed at.
“Ah, Claudine Bennett. Finally I’ve tracked you down when you’re all alone.”
Instantly on alert, I stood and spun toward the door as I slipped my phone into my back pocket. A man who I’d guess was in his mid-forties stood just inside the doorway.
“What the fuck? This is staff only, you need to go back out the front.”
I didn’t think he was here for a tattoo, but you never know. I’d certainly prefer he was nothing but a client who’d strayed, not some asshole out to hurt me.
“Such language for a lady. I guess you truly are your father’s daughter.”
Icy fingers ran down my spine. I needed to get away from this man, and fast. I moved to the side of the room, hoping to draw him away from the door so I could make a run for it. He was a big bastard, looked like a boxer that had been jammed into suit pants and a white shirt. Hopefully that meant he was slower than me.
As fast as I could, I picked up a chair and threw it at him, but he ducked out of its way as I dashed toward the door. I had a hand on the door frame when his thick arm wrapped around my waist and jerked me backward.
“Always the hard way.
”
Something hard pressed against my shoulder a moment before my body lit up with pure agony. Fuck! That hurt like a motherfucker. I slumped against the man, unable to move, and he quickly scooped me up in his arms, before he headed toward the back door. I thought I heard my name being yelled, but the darkness invading my mind took over and I passed out.
Eagle
After making sure Silk had made her way to the back room of her shop, I headed to my post next to the entrance. Silky Ink wasn’t on a busy street, and there wasn’t much foot traffic around either. Made it an easy place to guard, and to make private phone calls. Pulling out my phone, I dialed Mac, my gaze scanning the street as I waited for him to answer his phone.
“What’s up?”
“Scout spoke to you yet?”
“Told me to get to Silk’s tonight and to follow your lead. You know what’s going on yet?”
I’d spoken to Mac and Taz a few times about what could be behind the sudden need the club had to have Silky under guard 24/7 while none of the other old ladies or daughters of the club were.
“Turns out Silk’s dad was into something before he died that’s coming back to bite her. Word is the mob from LA is after her.” I frowned and shook my head, even though Mac couldn’t see me. “I thought those boys were all but gone now.”
“Nah, I doubt they’ll ever fucking disappear completely. They’re smaller than they were back in the day, but just because they’re keeping out of the media spotlight, don’t think they aren’t as dangerous as they’ve always been.”
I’d heard that a few of Mac’s more distant relatives had been involved with the mob somehow, never thought those ties would come in useful before now.
“Any chance you can ask around, see if you can find out what they want? Scout’s certain they want her alive, so he’s thinking they want something her dad left behind.”
“I can ask. How long ago did her dad die?”
“He was on the plane that hit the south tower.”
“You talking 9/11? That’s fifteen years ago. Why now? I can guarantee it wouldn’t have taken them this long to locate Silk. Something new must have happened.”
